U.S. Military Seizes Iranian Ship

The United States Navy fired on and seized an Iranian cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday after its crew refused orders to turn back from a naval blockade.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said the destroyer USS Spruance intercepted the vessel, identified as the Touska, after it ignored warnings over a six‑hour period. CENTCOM reported that the crew was ordered to evacuate the engine room before the Navy fired several rounds, disabling the ship’s propulsion system. U.S. Marines then boarded and took control of the vessel.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced the seizure on Truth Social, saying the Navy “stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engine room” and that U.S. forces were now searching the ship to see what was on board.

“The Touska is under U.S. Treasury sanctions because of their prior history of illegal activity,” he added.

Iran strongly condemned the incident, accusing the U.S. of violating a ceasefire and carrying out what it described as “maritime highway robbery.” In a statement broadcast by Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), Iran’s military said U.S. forces damaged the ship’s navigational equipment and boarded it by force.

The statement ended with a warning: “We warn that the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond to and retaliate against this U.S. armed piracy.”

CENTCOM noted that since the blockade began, U.S. forces have turned away 25 commercial vessels attempting to reach Iranian ports.